River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-12-01
A CRAZY ENGINEER.
Thrilling Story OF the Lake Shore
Railroad.
a sIidnight Ride with a sTad Engineer
Experience Of Old is0b Whit
taker. Veteran Central
Engineer.

tAkcrs a Veteran NcHtrA
Engineer.
THAT was q mighty exciting story
in the ECeniHg sun the other day
about Engineer BOtsworth. who went
mad in his locomotive cab on the
Wabash road out in Iowa. and. after
nearly wrecking the train. tried to
Jump from the window said old Bob
Whitaker, a veteran engineer on the
New York Central yesterday. ''but II
wasn't 4 circumstance 10 the expert
ence once had with n crazy man at
the throttle"
Whitaker was urged to tell his
story. aud proceeded IL the deliberate
style of Old-fashiOnel story-tellers:
'.Forty years on the foot-board are
not apt 10 pass without some thrilling
episodes" he began. land I've had
my share; but nothing ever made my
cap rise oiT my head and my heart sink
clear into my boots A. did the event I'm
going To tell You about. Il happened
u dozen years or so ago. was run
ming on the Lake Shore road then.
from Cleveland to Chicago. I'd lost
my Job rs engineer, so | shipped rs
fireman. The engineer was a strong
why man. considerably larger than
myself. named lie! Franklin. He was
called one Of the best engineers of the
West. but was trille eccentric. ]
had been running rs fireman with Ziel
for several months. when we started
one night 10 take the fast mail from
Cleveland to Chicago.
at was a drilling. gloomy night.
very much like what we've been hav-
ing in New York for a week. aud dark
az than Ton OF Lackawanna coal We
had No. 3l3. the biggest and newest
machine on the road. and 4 terror for
speed. Our regular engine. No. 1S2,
had been stabbed for repairs I'm not
naturally superstitioUs. like most rail-
readers, but the weather had made me
kind o blue, pose. or my supper
didn't set quite right. and a we pulled
out If the Cleveland station at 1915
y. NJ. couldn't help thinking about
that thirteen in the engines number.
Besides. It was early spring, the ground
was soft from the rain, and the going
was very dangerous Ziel seemed to
be depressed b. the weather or some
thing else, Just rs was We logged
on and on into the inky darkness at a
steady pace Of forty-five miles an hour
The heavy train Of foHr mail and ex-
press cars. two day coaches and three
sleepers rumbled mOnotonously behind
~. Neither If us had spoken for an
hoGr Ziel was watching the track rs
If he expected tito fly up and run away.
i was couiuring up more blue devils
over the nasty night and the presence
Of that unIucy thirteen in the engine
number.
suddenly. Just As l was wondering
for the odd huuiredth time whether
there was any thing in luck signs. any
way. Zel jumped from his box and
threw open the furnace door. He
stood mOliOnless f,r fully a minute,
sIaring into The fire.
:" .OhuI hats tile way of 1t, eh?' he
cried at last. turning sharply to me.
The food Of light from the red-hOt
Goals poured full ON his face. The
features were horribly distorted. and
his eyes bulged from their sockets.
That's ghe way Of il. eh?' he repeat
ell. glOweriug tiercely NJ me.
II guess sn. Ziel. said I. not know
ing whas else To say. aud trying 10
force a laugh. had decided that he
was drunk.
..,Oho. that's it. cha he roared
again. IT i. Ell? Ohio. thought 50.
Well. make up the fire then.
Il was too astOnished to stir for an
Instant. rs the fire needed no making
az. He nOted my hesitation
Make up that fire. he yelled
Heap her up. and be quick about it,
dye hear?'
without a word threw in several
Shovels or coal Almost instantly the
steam gauge began to run up Ziol
noted il complacently. He peered out
along the tracks again in grim silence.
Presently he turned and said with
fearful OATH Didn't tell YOU 10 heap
her up2 She's freezing TO death. man.
cant YOU see9 Heap her up high. /
tel you. or by the living God I'll toss
YOU in there to help feed the namesi
i threw In another small shovel Of
coal and tr led 10 shut the furnace
door. Zicl prang from his box. and
grabbing the shovel tossed in two or
three bushels more. Then he caught
M the sledce-hammeT and hung II on
.be safetv-valvc Nv worst fears were
realized. 1 knew that he was msd.
W. plunged more rapidly than ever
into the darkness. The maniac At the
throttle craned his head from the cab
window. A. he drew il back he NUT
tered several times: Wen keep her
warm. poor thing; Oh. yes. we il keep
her warm; depend on that.
He seemed 70 ignore my presence
entirely. Again he got down and
heaped more coal iutO the furnace
Then as he sat down he pulled the
throttle wide open. The engine leaped
shead with furious bound she
svSyed from side to side like adrunken
man. and the rig ratified as if palsy
stricken. Away we went like creatures
horne on the back Of a demon
Once more Ziel GOT down and
baapad in coal. The engine fairly
.uorted as she lurched forward. now
careeuing over the uneaven track.
now riShting herself agaiR and gain
ing fresh impetus With every inch On
and on she rushed into the midnight
Faster and faster she hew-headione
over bridges. tearing around curves,
smuggling down grades. whizzing psAi